As One
by FlipWise
Summary: After Ponyboy graduated and received a scholarship, the Curtis brothers had lost touch with each other. Now it is the 1990's and a terrible event with Sodapop results in the brothers returning to Tulsa, Oklahoma. But how much has changed?
1. The Introduction

As you know. I have returned. My job here isn't done yet!

"As One"

by FlipWise

Chapter 1: The Introduction

A car is coming down the road and pulls into a parking lot for a general store. After it comes to a halt in front of the entrance, it sits for a while. Inside, a grown man, in his forties or so, was shaking the young man sitting in the passenger seat. After a low groan, the young man cracked his eyes open.

"Do you need anything to drink?" asked the adult.

The young man shook his head slightly and turned over to another comfortable position while the other went into the store. After getting himself a Pepsi, and a few packages of Doritos, he went to the front desk. The cashier added his total together and announced,

"Six dollars and fifty-seven cents."

The adult checked his wallet and saw that he only had a five dollar bill and a fifty dollar bill. Reluctant to break change with such a large amount, he charged it. The cashier asked for I.D. and the adult displayed it to him. He looked at the card and looked back at it's holder.

"Ponyboy Curtis. Y'know, that name sounds familiar."

There was a slight smile on the forty year old.

"Yeah. I um…get that a lot."

Ponyboy picked up his food and drink and exited the general store. He and his only son, Gregory, were on their way to Ponyboy's hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma. His son Gregory was fourteen years old and like many children his age, had a fetish for video games. Specifically Role Playing Games, since he loved to customize his own characters for his preference. Just recently, Ponyboy's wife and Gregory's mother had died of cancer. She had been his wife of fifteen years and a very hardworking woman who kept him happy. She had golden hair, in which her son adapted from her with slight darkening to it and, as Ponyboy said, "eyes only an angel could compete with." He used this saying because every time he looked at her, he would be lifted in spirit.

Weeks after her death, Ponyboy had received news that his older brother, Sodapop, had been shot. After Ponyboy had graduated from high school, a year early that most of his schoolmates, he had gotten a scholarship to Penn State. It was far from home but his two brothers encouraged him to go. With his knowledge he could make something of himself, and he did. He received a master's degree in creative writing and has written two books and a screenplay for a major motion picture. But the distance in college away from his home gradually took effect and he lost touch with his family and friends in his hometown.

His oldest brother, Darry had eventually attended a junior college after Ponyboy graduated and continued his education at a university, causing him to move as well. While out, he started a family of his own and currently has a daughter who is attending a junior college in Tulsa and playing basketball. Darry has already returned to Tulsa with his wife,Lisa and have settled them selves in the old Curtis home.

Sodapop continued to work at the DX gas station. His best friend, Steve Randle, eventually quit after he raised enough money to open his own car garage. He eventually married a girl, who had a son from a previous relationship. He had sex withher previous to her engadgement andshe told him that he was pregnant,hence the reason they got married.Her accusation proved to be false but Sodapop still took care of her, mostly because of her cocaine addiction. She had checked herself into rehabilitation and he became the guardian of his step-son, who was currently a junior in high school. One night while Sodapop was working late at the DX, two masked robbers rushed in and held him at gunpoint while demanding that the cashier give them the money that they had received. They had already deposited the money in the bank so there was not much in the machine. The robbers took out their anger by shooting Sodapop and the bullet hit him in his spine.

Darry's daughter, Pamela, was the second family member to receive the news. She had been living with both Soda and his step-son, Willie. She informed Darry, who then informed Ponyboy in his home in Pennsylvania. Ponyboy took this as a sign. His wife was deceased and his brother had been harmed. It was time for the family to return again.


	2. The Curtis Family

Chapter 2: The Curtis Family

After about an hour more of driving the scenery slowly started looking familiar to Ponyboy. He passed by familiar areas such as the Drive In Movie Theater he used to sneak into, and the drug stores his friends used to rob. He passed by a restaurant that looked awfully familiar, but he doesn't remember it being called "Waffle House".

He nearly missed his turn trying to remember what the building used to be, and he made his way down pass some houses and then he stopped in front of a very familiar house. There were already two cars parked in front and one in the garage. Ponyboy didn't remember the house having a garage so it must have been added on after he left. After putting the automobile in park he reached over and shook his sons shoulder.

"Gregory. Gregory, c'mon. We're here."

Gregory cracked his eyes again. He sat up, stretched, and then proceeded to get out of the car. His father did the same and they got their suitcases out of the trunk. Gregory strapped his backpack on his back and followed Ponyboy towards the door.

"Whose house is this again?" he asked while surveying the area.

"This is my brother's house. Your Uncle Soda. I used to live here."

"Uncle Darry too?"

"Yeah."

They walked towards the door and Ponyboy placed his suitcase down. After a quick sigh, he knocked on the door three times. He could feel movement in the house. He cut his eyes down at Gregory and he seemed to be looking at a dog chewing on a bone down the street in someone else's yard.

The knob on the door turned which caught Pony's attention he turned his eyes back to the doorway. It opened and there stood a broad shouldered man, and a smile appeared on his face. Ponyboy smiled too and the other man pulled him into a bear hug.

"Welcome home, little brother," he said.

After they released each other Ponyboy asked,

"So Darry. How are things?"

Darry placed his hands on his hips, but it seemed more like he was holding his back.

"Things have been okay. These muscles ain't exactly what they used to be. But it's fine."

"Really. How's everyone. Is Soda okay?"

"Oh yeah. Soda's doing well. We're supposed to be able to take him home tomorrow. Only problem is..well…"

"What? What happened?"

Darry was shaking his head slightly.

"He's paralyzed from the wasit down. But it's only temporary."

Pony stared at his eldest brother. He didn't know that Sodapop was off this bad. It seemed like a get well and go thing. Darry cut back in to break the silence.

"Pamela took my wife and Willie to the grocery store. As soon as they get back we're going to visit Soda again. Is this your son?"

"Yeah. Um…this is him."

Gregory looked at the tall man looking back at him. Ponyboy thought that Gregory was slightly intimidated by him.

"Hey," introduced Darry. "I'm your Uncle Darry. What's your name?"

"Gregory."

"Gregory huh? How old are you?"

"I just turned fourteen."

"Okay. Soda has a step son that's sixteen. You and him to hang out sometime. Why don't y'all bring your bags in."

Ponyboy and Gregory picked their suitcases up and carried them into the house.

"We're still trying to get the sleeping arrangements done," said Darry. "Pamela's staying with her boyfriend right now so we've already taken her old room."

"Well I'll take the couch. It'll be alright," said Ponyboy. "And that leaves Gregory to…"

"He can stay in Willie's room. I think we have a mattress to put down."

"Okay. That works."

With that Darry went to go get the mattress out of the garage, and Gregory gave nudged his father.

"Why didn't you ask me where I wanted to sleep? I don't wanna bunk with someone I don't know."

Ponyboy sighed and ran his head through his son's hair.

"C'mon. He's your cousin. He doesn't bite."

"How do you know? You haven't met him either."

That reminded him more of how long he had been away from his family. He hadn't met any of the children. He's met Darry's wife before at his own wedding, but he's never met any of the younger ones. Darry then came to the door and slide mattress vertically through the door.

"I've got it, Darry," said Ponyboy grabbing the end of the mattress. Which room?"

"You and Soda's old room."

He pulled the mattress through the hallway and into the room that he used to sleep in. After laying the mattress down on the side opposite of the bed he looked around. The room didn't look too different. The only thing that had changed was the new painting and the movie posters around the room. As Pony looked around, he started to reminisce.

He remembered he and Soda wrestling on the bed one day, and Darry came in to tell them to stop, but he ended up being pulled into the wrestling match himself. It brought back a lot of memories. At that moment, he heard more voices from the front and he walked towards the living room. There standing was Darry's wife, Lisa, his daughter Pamela, and Soda's step-son Willie.

"Hey Ponyboy," said Lisa and she hugged him.

"Hey," he responded after she let him loose. "Is this Pamela?"

"Yup," said Pamela and she hugged him also.

Darry looked at Ponyboy and then looked at Willie. Lisa did also.

"Willie," she said. "Come and say hi to your uncle and cousin."

Willie didn't even get up. He just waved his hand slightly. Like he didn't even care who was in his house right now.

"Well," said Pamela placing her hands on her hips. "Are y'all ready to go see Uncle Soda?"

"Let's go," said Ponyboy with a smile.


	3. Sodapop Curtis

Chapter 3: Sodapop Curtis

As they all walked outside, Lisa asked,

"Did you drive all the way here from Pennsylvania?

"No, no," answered Pony. "We…uh took a plane, actually and this is a drive-away."

"Oh yeah," said Pamela. "The airport isn't really that close so you'll have to drive a while. Good plan. Do you remember the way to the hospital?"

"I'm going to follow you guys."

Darry, Pamela, Lisa, & Willie got into the Dodge truck Darry drove and Ponyboy got into his car with Gregory.

"I don't think that Willie guy likes me," said Gregory putting his seat-belt on.

"It's your first time meeting him. Besides, he probably just wants to see Uncle Soda."

Ponyboy put the car in drive and followed Darry's truck towards the hospital. He didn't notice it on the way but he saw the vacant lot they used to have rumbles in. One specific rumble stuck out in his mind though.

They reached the hospital and parked near each other. As they were walking in, Pony began reminiscing again. He remembered when one of his friends was jumped badly and they had to take him here. And numerous times after friends of his were beaten. It seemed to be bigger now. And a lot more up to date. Carpet covered the front of the lobby, which looked bigger also. They all took the elevator up the Soda's floor. Darry knocked on the door and a nurse opened.

"Hey, he's been waiting for everyone," said the nurse and she went down the hallway. Darry entered the room and heard Sodapop say "Hey" slightly.

"We've got more for you," he heard Darry say and Pony guessed that was his cue. He and Gregory walked towards the other side of the room and there was Sodapop, looking like an E.R. patient. Willie was right beside him.

"Hey, hey. Ponyboy!"

Ponyboy walked over to his loveable brother with a smile and hugged him slightly. He didn't want to mess up anything.

"How's life treating you?" asked Soda.

"Life's been okay. I…kinda wish I could say the same."

"Aw don't be taken back by it," said Soda with an even bigger smile. "Life must be treating me good if I'm still living."

Well Sodapop hadn't changed a bit. He was still mister happy-go-lucky. Sodapop continued to chatter on.

"Yup. Two-Bit and Steve dropped by this morning. Kinda teased me about the handicap. But they said they'll be here for me."

"Yeah. How are they doing?" asked Ponyboy.

"Two-Bit's had a child to look after," said Darry. "He's grown up and moved out by now."

"But word around town is that he having another one by a different girl," added on Soda. "Steve went through the same thing. But as soon as the boy turned eighteen he celebrated. But he still left a mark."

"A mark?" asked Ponyboy.

"Yup. This kid has a fetish for cars too. And is Steve's assistant at the garage. Speaking of kids. Who's this little one beside you, Pony?"

He was obviously referring to Gregory, and the fourteen year old introduced himself after Pony nudged him.

"Gregory. Nice. Hey Lisa, why don't you take everyone down to the cafeteria for some jello or something? I want to have a little chat with my brothers."

"Okay. I'll meet you guys at the car, okay?"

Everyone left excluding Pony, Darry and of course Soda. As the door closed, Soda said to Pony.

"So life's been good, huh?"

"Yeah it has."

"That nice. I'm…sorry to hear about your wife."

Ponyboy's spirits lowered slightly.

"Yeah, me too, Pony," said Darry.

Ponyboy continued to look downward. He really did miss his wife. It was a lovely relationship. He loved her, Gregory loved her, and she was a role model for most. She was a rare diamond found in a deep cave.

"I miss her," said Ponyboy in a quiet tone and after noticing a gesture from Soda, Darry put his arm around him.

The rest of their conversation went on by reminiscing about their younger days in town. With all the great moments that Sodapop kept bringing up, Pony found his spirits lifted again. Darry suddenly remembered that everyone was waiting for them in the parking lot. And they said bye to their brother.

"We'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?" said Ponyboy as he headed towards the door.

"Alright. See everyone tomorrow."

"Bye…Pepsi Cola," laughed Darry.

Ponyboy looked back and saw a smile on Soda's face. Even though he was much older than the last time he saw him smile, it would still make him smile himself. When everyone returned to the Curtis household, Lisa and Pamela decided that they would work on dinner together, like they used to do when Pamela was younger. Darry and Pony looked at them preparing dinner for a while and then they went to go sit in the living room.

"She's just like her mother. Isn't she?" asked Ponyboy.

"Yeah. She is," said Darry smiling. "They're both the light of my life."

Ponyboy nodded. The only light of his life right now was Gregory. But this light couldn't compare to how happy he and his son used to be. Everyone had their dinner pretty soon and stayed up a little afterwards, but the family retired for the night around eleven o' clock. Darry and Pony pulled out the couch bed and the youngest brother made himself comfortable.

As he lied there, he thought about everyone else's lives. Darry seemed to have the best one. He had a lovely wife and an athletic daughter. Meanwhile he and Soda lose their spouses and also takes a bullet. That did show something about Soda's character though. He took in just some random lady, who had lied to him and tricked him into marrying her. But cocaine wasn't anything to play with. And since Soda had lived in this area of Tulsa all his life, he had probably seen what it had done to a person. And the fact that he took in his step-son showed even more of his kind nature.

Ponyboy stared at the ceiling fan turning counter-clockwise. And then he asked himself,

'How do I compare to him?'


	4. Around Still

Chapter 4: Around Still

Ponyboy woke up to an aroma running through his nose. After sitting up, he recognized the smell as eggs and…could it be? Chocolate!

"Hey, you two turn that down!"

His head jerked towards the hallway and noticed that Darry was sticking his head in the room that the boys were sleeping in. Gregory must have plugged together his Playstation or something. Darry walked over towards the front, clad in pants and a white beater just like when he used to come home from work, and said "morning" to his younger brother.

"Morning," he responded. "When are we going to pick up Soda?"

"The doctor said we can pick him up this afternoon. So you and I are going to pick him up around twelve. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah. Its…fine."

"Okay. Go ahead and put the couch bed up."

And with that, Darry walked into the kitchen. Ponyboy stretched for a little bit and slid out of the bed. After folding the sheets up and turning the bed into a couch, he heard the door knock. He was about to answer it, but Willie came rushing to it and opened it himself. There in the doorway stood another young man around Willie's age. Pony concluded that he must be one of his friends.

"Darry!" Willie shouted. "I'm going out."

"To where?" asked Darry as he walked into the living room.

"Just to my friend's house. I'll be back before Soda gets back."

"Alright….Have fun."

The two teenagers then closed the door and Pony could hear them talking as they jumped off the porch. Darry then looked at him.

"Gregory didn't want to come with him?"

"I guess not," he answered. "He's….a little shy sometimes."

Darry shrugged and walked back into the kitchen. Truly, Gregory was barely ever shy, especially around kids close to his age. He was only quiet around adults around him and Soda's age. Pony walked back to the bedroom his son was sleeping in and saw him sitting down, playing the Playstation as expected.

"You didn't want to go with your cousin?" he asked.

Without taking his eyes away from the television, Gregory answered,

"He didn't ask me if I wanted to go."

Pony stared for a second. Gregory wasn't even invited. He probably didn't feel too well about that, and he rubbed his son's hair.

"Don't let it bother you, Greg."

With that, he grabbed his suitcase and entered the bathroom to take his shower. Finally, twelve o'clock came and he and Darry took the Dodge to the hospital. It really had been a very long time since Ponyboy had actually sat in a truck. At Penn State, everyone pretty much had cars. Some even had convertibles, which was nothing new to him.

When they reached the hospital, Ponyboy stayed behind to fill out the check-out forms while Darry went to go get the middle brother. As he looked at the sheet, there were a lot of questions he couldn't answer. Of course, he could answer things about facial features. But a lot of them were personal questions. And he hadn't really talked to Sodapop since his marriage. And that was fifteen years ago.

Marriage…he found himself thinking about his wife again. No matter how much he tried to let it go, he would find himself thinking about her. She had left a mark so deep that he didn't think anyone she met would ever forget her.

"Hey Pony!"

Soda's voice broke into his thoughts and he looked to his left. There was Sodapop being sitting in a wheelchair being wheeled in by Darry. He had already forgotten that his brother was paralyzed from the waist down.

"Hey Soda. How long until you're not paralyzed anymore?"

Soda shrugged.

"Shouldn't be too long. But I have to come back here as soon as I get feeling back in my legs. I have to learn to walk all over again."

"Aw. That's not good."

He shrugged again.

"Not really. I think it'll be fun. A new challenge."

The other two Curtis brothers couldn't help but smile. When they got back to the house, everyone was excited to see Sodapop healthy, especially Willie. Lisa asked if Soda would like to lie down in his bed, but he shook his head. He and Willie sat down and played cards for a while.

"Yup. They seem to do that all the time," said Pamela as she and Pony were looking at them from the kitchen doorway.

"Do what?" he asked.

"They play all sorts of gambling related games, but never for money. Dominoes, poker, you name it. They're real close."

He observed the two again. He and Gregory were close, but not that close. The only time they spent time with each other was when they went to a Phillies game. But ever since the loss of the valuable family member, things haven't been like they used to be.

That night, Ponyboy went to go put some gas in his car, since the tank was nearly empty. While driving back home he stopped at a stop sign and surveyed the scenery. He remembered himself walking down these streets just to find a way to keep him entertained, mostly just going to the movie theater.

While he was thinking again, two darkly dressed men came running up to either side of the car. One appeared on his side and held a gun up.

"Get out of the car!"

Pony looked and saw that he was being carjacked.

"I don't want any trouble!" he yelled while putting his hands up.

"And you'll be in some if-" started the one on the passenger side, but the other cut him off.

"Wait a second, wait a second…Curtis?"

Ponyboy looked towards the guy and he threw off his mask. He had to stare for a moment, but he recognized him eventually.

"Curly? Shepard!"

"Aw hell!" shouted Curly. "What are you doing back in town? Ey, put the gun down. I know this guy."

The other robber put the gun down while Curly kept talking.

"Are you here to see about Sodapop?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay. Is he out yet? How's he doing?"

"He's fine. He's just can't walk for right now."

"Oh that sucks."  
"Yeah. It does. Well I got to get back. Nice seeing you."

"Likewise, Curtis."

With that, Ponyboy went straight on home. It was nice seeing Curly again, but it wasn't the best feeling in the world to be held by gunpoint.


	5. The Boys

Chapter 5: The Boys

The next night was peaceful enough for Ponyboy. But that changed in the morning. While he was still in his slumber, in his dream he heard some yell,

"There he is!"

With that, his eyes shot open and someone pulled him off of the bed. He went almost went into panic mode as he was grabbing the sheets off of the bed. Pretty soon, his behind hit the floor with a thump and he was face to face with two pair of legs. As he looked up, he noticed two familiar people looking down at him, one of them smiling like a Chessy Cat.

"Two-Bit! Steve! What the hell?" he laughed.

He got up and the two nearly flung him around like they did once after they hadn't seen him in a long time. They really hadn't changed that much. Two-Bit had an empty beer bottle in his hand and Steve had a dirty rag sticking out of his pocket.

"Long time no see. Hey...um…Two-Bit. Would you mind throwing your bottle away in the trash can outside? My son's in the house."

"Your son!" they both said.

"C'mon, Two-Bit," laughed Pony once again.

"Alright, alright. I don't think I'm much of a influence to kids anyway."

Two-Bit walked outside and Steve then smartly remarked,

"Since when did you become such a proud parent?"

Well Steve's attitude hadn't changed much.

"Heard you're doing the same," said Pony.

"Yeah. I got the kid working at the shop now. Bringing in lots of business. So where's Soda and Superman."

"Soda's still in his room. And I think Darry had to run out for something this morning."

"Well let me go see how he's doing."

Steve escorted himself down the hallway and Pam came walking past him.

"Is Two-Bit here too?"

"Yeah. I sent him outside to throw his beer bottle away."

"Why?" she asked with lowered eyebrows.

"Well… I just didn't want Gregory around it."

"Okay," she said in a slightly long time and she left the room.

Ponyboy turned towards where she had just exited and thought to himself.

'Did I do something wrong?'

After Darry came back, Pam wanted to treat the younger ones to a movie. So the only ones left in the house were Ponyboy, Darry, Soda, Steve and Two-Bit. Darry got his younger brother in the wheelchair and rolled him up to living room where everyone else was relaxing.

"Now that the kids are gone, can I get a beer Pony?" asked Two-Bit with a smile.

"Go on ahead."

"Finally!" he said jumping up. "Who else wants one?"

"Get me one," said Steve.

"Same here," said Soda but Darry cut in.

"C'mon Soda. You're already crippled. You don't need it."

"Aw c'mon Darry. A little bit won't hurt."

Darry smiled.

"That little move might have worked when we were younger but I got a daughter who's tried it one too many times."

"Aw man."

Everyone laughed and Two-Bit came back with two beer bottles.

"So how's the wife doing," asked Steve to Soda.

"I talked to her a day or too ago. She's doing okay. It's still gonna take her a while."

"That's good. How soon until you can walk?"

"Not sure. Should I try it?"

"It wouldn't hurt. Huh, Darry?"

"Guess not."

Steve and Darry held Soda's hands and balanced him on his feet. They let go slowly as Soda tried to move his legs. But he suddenly started to lean to the side and Darry caught him under his arms.

"Guess not," said Soda with a smile.

His older brother sat him back in his seat and they continued to talk.

"Did they ever find out who robbed you guys," asked Two-Bit after gulping down a beer.

"They found one guy and he snitched on the other."

"So you'll have to testify," pointed out Pony.

"Yeah. But the trial isn't for a while. Man. I don't think I've been in a courtroom since…."

The room fell silent. Everyone knew what Soda was about to say. Back in 1966, when they lost two very close friends of theirs. Soda continued to talk.

"I think about those two every day."

"So do I," added on Darry. "But do you think they were better off."

Everyone looked at Darry, slightly surprised at what he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Steve with a slightly cold tone. He knew better than to blow up at Darry.

"I found a letter that Johnny had written to Pony a long time ago…"

Ponyboy's mind clicked instantly. He knew what letter his brother was talking about. The last letter Johnny had written. It said how he wasn't afraid of dying as he was before. Darry continued.

"…It sounded like Johnny was ready to go. And Dally…I know the only reason he stuck around was to keep an eye on Johnny. And when he was around Johnny, he was around us. I think we kept him more grounded. Otherwise, he would have gone off and got shot eventually."

Everyone slightly agreed with him. Soda and Pony understood, Steve had mixed opinions, and Two-Bit had to think about it also. After a while, the boys had to leave, and to Ponyboy's request, they threw the beer bottles away outside. Lisa came back with everyone and the whole house retired for the night as Pam drove back to her boyfriend's house. When she said goodnight to everyone though, Darry seemed to have a worried look on his face as she left the house. That night as Ponyboy was lying down, staring at the ceiling, he thought about the conversation that he and the boys had. Darry pretty much spoke his thoughts that he had been keeping to himself for the past thirty years. His thoughts…He instantly sat up and looked in the corner of the room, there was his suitcase. He moved it there so the boys would have more room. He went through it quickly and felt a folder. He clicked on the lamp and opened the folder. There sat the theme that he had received an A+ on. The teacher recommended that he show this story to others, but he didn't. He had already written two books and a screenplay, but hasn't let a single sole besides his teacher read this theme yet. Was it time now to let everyone know? He put the folder back up and cut off the light. He would just sleep on it.


	6. Up And Dancing

Chapter 6: Up and Dancing

A week or so passed, and still Soda was not able to walk. But not everything was negative. Two-Bit seemed to entertain Gregory a lot which made Pony happy that he wasn't alone all the time. He was hoping that he and Willie would become fast friends. But Willie was barely at the house. And he had never said a thing to Pony ever since he got here.

One night, he overheard Darry talking to Lisa about Pam staying at her boyfriend's house. They were in the kitchen.

"I'm not sure about this boy she's staying with. Have you met him?"

"No I haven't Darry," said Lisa. "But I believe Sodapop has met him. And I trust his judgment."

"But it's Soda!"

There was a slight silence, and then Lisa spoke again.

"Are you saying that Soda doesn't make good judgments?"

Darry sighed and gave his response.

"Lisa. I didn't mean it that way. I love my brother. But he's a lot easier going than I am. He took in an addict even after she lied to him."

"This shows how much of a heart he has. And I think he would have noticed if something wasn't good about him."

Darry sighed again.

"I guess I am getting a little carried away. Wow. I sound like one of those dads I heard about when I was growing up."

That got Ponyboy to thinking again. His parents were killed in an auto wreck when he was thirteen. His parents didn't seem to mind them dating. Even when Sodapop brought home Sandy to meet, they didn't mind. But, they didn't have any daughters either.

One day he, Two-Bit and Gregory went over to the video store to look around. Pony had already pulled his friend to the side and told him,

"No slick stuff."

Two-Bit only smiled, but he knew Pony was serious. While they were there, Two-Bit was showing Gregory something over in the animation section. While they were over there, Ponyboy came across a Video for Gone with the Wind. He had already read the book numerous times. And it was for Johnny.

He remembered the time they had to stay in the old Church on Jay Mountain. That's probably why Pony was a little nervous when Gregory wanted to go camping one year. Good thing he lost interest quickly. He picked up the tape. This must have been quite a long movie. There were two tapes in one box!

"Dad, Dad!"

He turned around and saw Gregory with an excited look on his face.

"What's up?"

"Two-Bit found this tape and he's buying it right now. He wants to get back to the house so he can show it to me."

"Alright. Let's go."

They got into the car and Two-Bit hounded Pony about rushing home the entire time. He didn't even wait for him to put the car in park before he jumped out. This caused more laughs for Gregory as he jumped out and followed him. Ponyboy walked inside and saw Two-Bit taking the tape out of its box.

"What did you buy?"

"It's a tape of classic cartoons I found in the sales rack. Only $3.00! Can you believe it! Such classic material for such a cheap price!"

"Well hold on," laughed Ponyboy. "Let me get Sodapop. I'm sure he would like to see it."

"Hurry up then!"

Ponyboy walked back to Soda's room and saw Soda lying on the bed.

"Hey Pony. What's up?"

"Two-Bit's got this tape of old cartoons. You want to check it out?"

"Yeah! Get me out of this bed. I've been lying here all day!"

Ponyboy nearly dragged his brother out of the bed and sat him in the wheelchair. He rolled him up towards the living room and Two-Bit pushed the tape into the VCR.

"Which cartoon is this?" asked Soda.

"It's an old Betty Boop Cartoon with Grampy. It's one of my favorites."

Soda laughed.

"I never thought you'd be a Betty Boop fan. I thought you like Disney shorts? You know they made a new Mickey Mouse cartoon about four years ago."

"Yeah," started Two-Bit. "I saw it when I went to go see 'George of the Jungle'. I've been asked about 'Runaway Brain' a lot. For some reason a lot of people think I'm a hardcore Mickey Mouse fan."

Two-Bit pushed play and fast forwarded a little. The cartoon was in black and white and it showed Grampy, an active old man, hooking house utensils together. Before you knew it, the cacophony of the house utensils put together a musical tune.

"I'll show you how they danced back in those days," said Two-Bit to Gregory.

"Did you dance like that," asked Gregory with a smile.

"No. I'm not that old."

And with that, Two-Bit started dancing like the characters on the cartoon while singing the tune that went with the short.

"Hold the tiger. Whoo! Hold the tiger. Whoo! Hold the tiger. Whoo!"

Gregory was laughing hysterically along with Ponyboy and Sodapop. As Two-Bit was doing his little dance, Pony looked back at his brother to see the smile on his face, but was surprised to see something else. As he looked down past Soda's entertained face, he saw something that made his stomach flip. Sodapop was tapping his foot to the music.

"Soda!" he nearly screamed.

With that Two-Bit stopped dancing and Gregory looked at his uncle. Soda looked down and saw that he had been tapping his foot. He hadn't even realized it the entire time. His eyes were wide. Two-Bit stopped the tape.

"Oh man. I…I think I have feeling in my legs!"

"Do you think you can walk?" asked Pony.

"Let's see."

Two-Bit and Ponyboy lifted Soda onto his feet. Soda's legs wobbled a little bit, and he barely kept his balance. The men caught him but there was no doubt about. Sodapop was no longer handicapped.

"Oh man! This is great!" yelled Ponyboy.

"Well let's keep celebrating," yelled Two-Bit and he put back on the tape and continued dancing.


	7. Apologies

Chapter 7: Apologies

Ponyboy called the hospital to let them know about Soda's condition and he could start coming back in two days so he could learn to walk again. As soon as Darry came home he let him know about the good news. Sodapop would have to go every morning at 10:00 so he could begin to learn.

Everyone was happy and couldn't wait for Willie to get home so he could hear the news. But he had been gone all morning. Darry asked Gregory if he knew where he had gone off to, but he didn't know either. Soda found it strange.

"He usually doesn't just take off like that. Actually he and his friends usually stay over here and hang out."

When Willie finally did get home, he was excited to see that his step-dad was getting better. That night, Gregory and Willie retired for the night as well as Lisa. Darry, Ponyboy and Sodapop stayed up that night. Talking as usual. Darry then asked a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"What's this boyfriend of Pamela's like?"

"Her boyfriend?" asked Soda.

"Lisa said you talked to him."

"Yeah. Josh is a good guy."

"Really…."

Sodapop was shaking his head, but smiling at the same time.

"Darry. I know you're worried about Pamela. But I trust she would know if she was going out with someone evil."

Pony smiled. He wanted to laugh, but he held his tongue since he could tell Darry was still worried about her.

"Has she given you any trouble before?" he asked.

"No. I mean the only thing that's troubled us is her grades."

"And she's doing fine in the college, Darry. And she can really play basketball. I went to one of her games."

Darry sat there for a moment, as if he was thinking. Soda then changed the subject of the conversation.

"Does Gregory play any sports?"

Ponyboy looked up. He really wasn't expecting a question. He was actually thinking himself.

"No. Actually, he plays his video games a lot. Either that or he's reading one of his comic books."

"What's he read? Batman, X-Men?"

"No. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"He has a comic book?"

"Yeah. What about Willie. He barely ever talks."

Soda sighed. I think my accident is the reason. He's had a pretty rough life. Especially with his mom being an addict. He talked to the school counselor once, but she said that I seem to be the only one he's comfortable with."

"Well that doesn't surprise me one bit," said Darry with a smile.

Suddenly there was a noise from the back and everyone looked down the hallway. Then there were voices yelling. It sounded like Gregory and Willie. Darry raced down the hallway and Soda took off behind him rolling himself in the wheelchair with Pony right behind him.

When Ponyboy looked in the room, Willie had Gregory in a headlock. Before he could yell anything, Darry broke the two apart. By that time Lisa came running in with her bathrobe on.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Willie!" yelled Sodapop. "What were you thinking! That's your cousin."

"He pushed me!" yelled Willie. "And he tried to jump on top of me!"

"Well he kicked my Playstation!" yelled back Gregory.

Willie was about to yell something back, but Soda cut him off.

"Willie! Come with me. You're sleeping in my room tonight."

"Why! It's my room!"

"Willie!"

Willie looked at his step-father, and then stormed into the other room.

"I'll talk to him," said Sodapop and rolled after him.

"And I'll talk to you," said Ponyboy.

He and Gregory walked to the living room and Pony sat him down on the couch. He had his eyes lowered which Gregory recognized as trouble.

"You pushed him?"

"He kicked my Playstation!" yelled Gregory while pointing his hand in the direction of the hallway.

"Quit yelling. Did he have a reason for kicking your game?"

"No a good one! He was talking on the phone and he kept yelling at me and said that I playing it was getting annoying. I'm telling you! He hates me!"

"Regardless of how he feels or how you feel! You two are cousins and you should start acting like family. Understand!"

Gregory had his head down and he calmly said,

"I understand."

Pony sighed, stooped down to him, and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We need to become more of a family," he said calmly. "They're the best to be around at this time. It's….It's just you and me, son."

Gregory put his head up and looked at his father, who had a saddened look. He understood completely what he said.

"Now go on to bed and don't play that game tomorrow. Alright?"

"Yes sir," said Gregory and he walked back to the room. On the way there, he passed by Darry who was walking to the living room.

"Is everything okay?" asked the oldest Curtis brother.

"Yeah," answered Ponyboy while getting back on both his feet. "Um…Everything's fine."

"That's good. I just helped Soda in bed and Willie is sleeping with him. He wanted me to tell you he's sorry about what just happened."

Pony was silent for a second and then he looked back at Darry.

"So am I."


	8. Talks

Chapter 8: Talks

Ponyboy opened his eyes, sweating. As he rose up, he realized that the temperature in the room was slightly higher than usual. He heard the sound of a machine and came to the conclusion that someone must have turned on the air conditioner. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and began to put the couch bed back.

"Don't bother about that," he heard a female voice say.

He turned around and saw Lisa passing by. She stopped at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Soda said it isn't necessary. As long as you're staying you can keep it down. There's some left overs from breakfast if you and Gregory want any."

"What time is it?" asked Pony

"It's 11:00. You overslept this morning."

"So where's everyone else? Did they oversleep?"

Lisa laughed. He didn't mean to make a joke.

"No. Darry took Sodapop to the hospital for his lessons and Willie is with them. Pam didn't come by this morning."

"So is Gregory's still asleep?"

"Last I checked."

Ponyboy walked down the hallway and entered into Willie's room. Gregory was still asleep, but he may have just been resting instead. He softly shook the fourteen year old.

"Greg. Hey, Greg."

Gregory turned a little bit and cracked his eyes open. It was reminiscent of when Pony woke him up on the way to Tulsa.

"Yes?" he said sleepily.

"Just checking on you. Aunt Lisa said that we both overslept. Last night was bothering you, huh?"

He nodded while still lying down. But Pony knew he was listening. Even thoughthey never had many man to man talks, even though it was the time for it.

"It bothered me a little bit too."

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Do…do you still think about Mom?" aksed Gregory while sitting up.

Ponyboy was silent for a moment. The question did take him by surprise, because Gregory had never in his life asked that question.

"Yeah. I do. Every night…every day…every time I see you."

Gregory stared at his father more as he stroked his hair. As if he was searching for the right question to ask next. It was obvious that he had been keeping these thoughts bottled up inside. And he made the decision to let them out.

"What do you think about her?"

Ponyboy had the answer. But they wouldn't come out of his mouth. He didn't know why. They just wouldn't slide off of his tongue. Then he heard his cell-phone ringing from the living room and he jumped up.

"Sorry, Greg. I'll talk more later. Go ahead and get dressed. It's hotter outside."

He rushed up to the front and answered his cell phone.

"This is Pony."

"Hey. Ponyboy! This is Lance."

"Oh. Hey Lance."

Lance was Ponyboy's agent, who visited Penn State and had the chance to read one of Pony's short stories. He had been his agent ever since.

"Well. The success of the movie that you wrote is anticipating your readers for another novel. Now I know about what happened. Is your brother alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. He's fine."

"That's good to hear. And I know the death of your wife must be setting you back more. So my advice is to take your time. But a lot of people are anxious."

Pony thought for a moment. He really didn't feel like writing right now. And anyway, he's had writer's block lately. He had nothing to say right now.

"Lance. I'll call you back when I get started. I don't know when though."

"That's all right. Take care, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

Ponyboy hung up his cell-phone and thought for another minute. What could he write about? Lance said to take his time, but Pony had always found a way of escaping through his writing. But he couldn't find the exit from this moment of his life.

At that moment, Gregory came walking up in a nice shirt and some kaki shorts. Lisa noticed him up and said,

"Good morning sleep-head. There's some left-overs from breakfast on the table. You can help yourself."

Gregory entered the kitchen for his food while Ponyboy continued to sit there and think. Lisa noticed him and asked,

"Ponyboy. Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"Huh? Oh…I might skip breakfast this morning. It's almost lunch anyway."

Lisa shrugged and walked to the back with a basket of laundry. Ponyboy tried hard to think of something, something to help him escape from this world. What story could he tell this time? What did he have to express? What could he say?

No matter how much he thought. Only one topic came into his mind. One thing that had been on his mind for a long time. It kept coming back no matter how much he tried. His deceased wife.

He had told himself constantly that he had gotten over it. But he had known ever since he was a teenager that he had lied to himself before.


	9. Some Old Reading

Chapter 9: Some Old Reading

To help clear his head, Pony went out driving again. He stopped at a red light. The traffic was incredibly busy so he just sat back and put the A.C. on full blast. He then noticed to his right the old building he saw when he first came into town. He stared at it for a while and finally figured out why the building was so familiar.

It was a Waffle House now, but this building used to be the Dingo. He and the rest of the greasers that inhabited the area would hang out there almost every night. Whether because there was nothing to do, you were hungry or you had that two people planned on fighting there that night

A honk behind him made Pony realize that the light had turned green and he drove off. He got back to the house and walked onto the porch slowly. He was still trying to think of something to write about. He entered the door and saw someone sitting on the sofa reading a book.

"Hey Uncle Pony," said Pam. "Where you been?"

"Just went to get some air," said Pony quickly.

"In this weather?"

"I can take it."

"Whatever," she laughed and she sat the book down and got up.

As she got up, she shut her eyes and Pony could have sworn he heard her wince. As if she was in pain or something.

"Are you alright?" he asked immediately.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. Just…had a rough night."

She exited the room quickly and Ponyboy wondered vaguely what could have made her do that. Should he tell Darry? Before he could draw any conclusion, he noticed the book that was lying on the sofa. Pam was reading one of his novels. His second one actually. It was titled, The Finale. It was about teenagers making choices while some were graduating high school while others were on the verge of eighteen.

It wasn't as popular as his first novel, which had to do with a tough inner city kid whose money hungry father gained an inheritance and they moved to an upper class neighborhood. He flipped through a couple pages. He stopped on a certain chapter. He remembered this chapter was based on a real life experience.

_We walked outside into the night. I guess that calmed us down because of the way I yelled at Rick. I really blew up at him for no reason. Suddenly I heard a sound from down the street. I'd heard the sound too many times before. A car had taken off down the street, which meant only one thing. Someone had been jumped._

_My stomach churned. I looked at Leo. He was staring down the street with his mouth open. We ran down the street and my nightmare came true. There was Ricky lying face up on the sidewalk, barely under the streetlight. It seemed like it took forever for me to get to him. When I finally did I saw his face. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his lip was cut…_

The door slammed and Ponyboy looked up to see Willy walking back to his room. He didn't even bother to say hi to his step-uncle. Pony guessed that he was still a little sour from last night. Pretty soon, Darry came walking in and Soda was behind him. Except he wasn't in his wheelchair.

Sodapop came walking in the house with only a cane supporting him. Pony sat up with a smile on his face.

"Soda! You're almost there!"

"Yup," said Darry with an even bigger smile. "He's been making good progress so far. The doctor said he should be able to walk without the cane in no time."

"Yeah," said Soda with a grin to outmatch his brothers. "Did you see which way Willy went Pony?"

"Towards the back."

Soda then began to move himself towards the back of the house.

"Need any help?" asked Pony.

"Can't," answered Darry. "The doctor said for him to walk as much as he can to help him learn better."

The two siblings then took a seat on the couch. Darry stretched his arms out and Pony could still clearly see the veins in his muscles. It was obvious that Darry still kept himself in shape after everyone left for college.

"What's this?" asked Darry as he picked up his brother's novel.

"Oh. Pam was reading it."

"Hm. This is one of your novels right?"

"Yeah. My second one."

"I remember reading it. It was real good. I believe it made the bestsellers list."

"Yeah. It did….I meant to call y'all."

Darry was silent for a second. Pony knew that face. He was staring down at the cover of the book.

"So why didn't you?"

He didn't have an answer for it. It wasn't because of an excuse, but it was because he couldn't remember why he didn't call. Instead of trying to recall, he just shrugged. Darry nodded his head and walked into the kitchen to greet his wife. After he left the room, Pony just leaned his head back onto the sofa. That didn't leave a good feeling in him.

Gregory came walking into the room and shook his father's knee.

"Do you know if Two-Bit's coming over?"

"I don't know. He might be trying to find a job. Why don't you read one of your comics?"

"I can't. I left them in the room and Willie's in there."

Pony sighed and put his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Just walk in there without looking at him and get your comics. And I promise that things will become better between you two."

Gregory stared for a moment and proceeded to the room to get his reading material. Ponyboy tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. There was so much going on in his mind and he didn't know what to do.


	10. Again

Chapter 10: Again

The rest of the day continued to scorch on. Ponyboy did a little hanging out with Sodapop this day. They had a couple of talks and Pony's mind eased. He always felt comfortable around Sodapop.

The next day, they did the same thing. While they were talking, Darry came in. At first the youngest Curtis brothers were smiling, but after seeing their older brother's face it flipped upside down. Darry had a slightly concerned look on his face. But they knew, Soda more than Pony, that he was hiding majority of his worry.

"What's wrong Darry?"

"It's nothing. I mean. I haven't heard from Pam all day. I called the house but her boyfriend said she was busy."

"I'm sure she's fine, Darry," said Ponyboy, trying his best to sound cheerful.

He was clearly unsuccessful because Darry kept the same expression on his face.

"I hope you're right."

And with that, he walked down the hallway.

"I don't know…"

Pony's head turned quickly to his brothers. His face wasn't as cheerful as it usually was. It looked like he knew something was wrong.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's…," started Soda but he stopped. "It's nothing. Just my mind running away from me."

Ponyboy looked at his brother for a while and just decided to not bother him about it. He walked up front to get himself a drink of water. Two-Bit came earlier and hung out with Gregory for a while. He wanted to go with Two-Bit after it was time to go, but Pony didn't let him. Even Two-Bit thought it was a bad idea, so Gregory understood more.

As he was getting some ice from the refrigerator, Lisa walked in and asked if he'd seen her husband.

"He just walked up here. He could be outside."

"Outside?"

"Yes. He seemed kind of worried."

"About what," she asked with lowered eyebrows.

"Well…he's kind of worried about Pam."

"Oh yes. He still doesn't trust her boyfriend."

"Really?" lied Ponyboy. He acted like he didn't know.

"Yes. But truly…"

Pony stared at her for a second. Truly what?

"Truly I have a bad gut feeling."

There seemed to be a lot of negative feelings in the house. Ponyboy didn't want to be around that so he just went out for a drive again. While he was driving, he felt something in his chest. He ignored the pain since it didn't really feel that vital.

As he was driving along, he noticed a bunch of kids in a field playing football. Just having fun. He pulled over and took a look at them all playing. He was now starting to miss those days and kind of wished that they would come back.

He didn't see too much of this anymore, not even with Gregory. He was always inside, and whenever his friends came over, they were inside with him. Back in the 60's, the boys would always be outside. The only reason to be inside was if it was too dangerous to be outside, and also in Ponyboy's case homework. Shoot. You could probably just call them outsiders…but it may have a different meaning.

Ponyboy decided that he would head back home. He now had an idea for his next book. As he approached the house, he noticed another automobile. It must have been Pam's. But he heard some slight yelling coming from the inside and it sounded like it was Darry's. Pony did the math, Pam's home plus Darry's yelling. Something awful had just happened.

He turned the car off and rushed into the house. When he opened the door, everyone turned around and looked at him. Everyone in the family was sitting in the living room. He looked at who was sitting on the couch and he saw Pam. She had a black eye and a cut across her head.

"Aw, God!" he nearly screamed. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened," yelled Darry. "That boyfriend of hers beat her. I told you all that I didn't trust that son of a bitch!"

So that was why Pam was in pain the other day. It all made since now….and he was supposed to tell Darry about it. How could he forget something so important? Pony's chest hurt a little, but ignored it again. Right now, he had to fess up. He figured that would make him feel better.

"Um…Darry."

"What!"

"The-the other day, I saw that Pam was in pain."

Darry stared at him with large eyes and lowered eyebrows. It was the scariest look Ponyboy had ever received from him.

"You what?" he screamed and everyone in the room seemed to jump. He continued.

"Dammit, Ponyboy you don't ever think! What the hell has been the matter with you?"

Soda must have known what was coming because he hobbled himself closer to his brothers.

"Darry, c'mon. Don't-"

"Soda. I'm gonna say it!"

Say what, have those two been talking behind his back?

"Ponyboy! You don't stop living because you've lost someone. You should have known that!"

He knew exactly who his older brother was referring to. His deceased wife. The name Patricia came to his mind. His chest pain began to rise.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" yelled back Pony. "Who in the hell do you think you are!"

Gregory was sitting on the side, with wide eyes. Ponyboy had never cussed in front of him. Never.

"Guys! Please!" yelled Lisa.

"C'mon! Quit it," added in Soda.

Ponyboy was furious. This was the most furious he had ever been in his life. All of a sudden the anger in his head flushed down to his body, and more pain hit him in his chest. He wanted to say something, but couldn't get any words out of his mouth for some reason. Sodapop and Lisa had their back turned. Before he could get their attention, he fell to the ground clutching his chest.

"Dad!"

At that moment everyone turned to Pony.

"Oh my God! What's wrong!" screamed Pamela and Soda followed with,

"Pony!

"I think he's having a heart attack. Pamela, go call the ambulance," commanded Darry and his daughter ran to the telephone.

"C'mon Pony. Stay with us."

The youngest Curtis brother lied there looking upwards at his sister-in-law Lisa. His step-nephew Willie, his son Gregory and his brothers Sodapop and Darry.


	11. One Family

Chapter 11: One Family

It all seemed to move so fast. The ambulance came and took Ponyboy to the hospital. The rest of his family filed into the van and followed them. Pony felt a rush mixed in with pain, and soon enough, fear was added.

He knew this wasn't a panic attack. This felt a lot worse. He thought that he was going die before he reached the hospital popped in constantly. He was scared, he needed someone. He needed his brothers!

They were able to reach the hospital and the rest was a complete blur. Before Pony knew he was lying in bed, with tubes all around him. He had never been in a hospital like this, never. Soon the doctor came in and said that he would be alright. Pony was relieved but he still didn't feel any better. He was healthier than he was a few minutes ago, but he wanted to see his family. The doctor had already left, but a nurse was still available.

"Excuse me?" he managed to get out.

"Yes," answered the nurse.

"C-can I see my family?"

The nurse smiled.

"Of course you can."

She left the room and came back in less than a minute with the rest of the Curtis family. Gregory rushed over to his father but Darry slowed him down so he wouldn't break anything.

"Hey Greg."

"So how are you doing?" asked Lisa.

"I'm fine. Um…Can I talk to Soda and Darry alone for a second."

After a short awkward silence, Willie, Pam, Lisa and Gregory left the room.

"Guys. I wanted to say I'm sorry. About everything."

"You mean Pamela?" asked Soda.

"That and for not calling all those years. For not keeping in touch."

"You can't blame yourself," finally spoke up Darry. He had been standing there with his arms crossed the entire time. He continued.

"We never called you either. We never picked up the phone to keep in touch. We're just as guilty as you are."

Pony stared at his oldest brother. Then the unexpected happened. A tear slid down Darry's face. He noticed the same on Soda's and he felt that he was going to start anytime soon.

"You-you gave us quite a scare, Pony," said Darry. "I had never thought about what you'd been going through. And I'm sorry about what I said about Patricia."

With that Soda grabbed Pony's hand and then he grabbed Darry's hand. He was barely balancing on his own two feet. All three of them could feel a surge of energy go through each other.

Before everyone left, Pony asked if he could talk to Gregory. After a quick conversation he told Gregory something specifically.

"Greg. I need to do something for me. Listen alright."

"Okay."

"When you get back. Go in my suitcase and find my cell-phone. Then look for a folder in my suitcase. It should have a paper called "The Outsiders". Call and tell him that I have a new story. Okay?"

"Yes sir."

After his family left, Ponyboy relaxed. Everyone was going to be alright. Every single one.

The End

A/N: Alright. I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading this story. I have a couple of uncompleted ones that I might start on. They are "Trying 2 Live Up" & "The Mark Left From the War". Feel free to check those out, but if you read "Trying 2 Live Up" you have read "Rebellious & Bitter" first. It was a sequel. And speaking of that, I might do a spin-off of this story that has to do with the relationship between Steve and his son. Just to shed a little light on him because I'm not sure how many of his fics are out there. Alright. Keep an eye out for that one. And I have plenty more fics if you wish to check those out.

-FlipWise


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